My Sweetheart
by FriendsLovers
Summary: A person can meet their soulmate everywhere. Even at a small Irish pub. - Ryan/Jenny
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** My Sweetheart  
**Summary:** A person can meet their soulmate everywhere. Even at a small Irish pub.  
**Pairings:** Ryan/Jenny  
**Rating:** PG – 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit.

* * *

The warm light, shining through the windows of the Irish pub, had lured him in. He was greeted by loud music, being pumped into every corner of the room, which was in fact too small for such an amount of guests. But Ryan didn't care as he squeezed his way through the crowd, towards the bar where he had spotted an empty stool.

With a deep, relieved sigh, he took over the chair, heavily leaning onto the wooden surface of the bar table as he ordered a drink. Ryan knew that alcohol never worked as a distraction from the real world out there, but that didn't mind he couldn't at least give it a try.

Another heavy sigh escaped him as he accepted the small glass and gazed into the brown liquid. It didn't look too alluring, and certainly not like a solution. In fact, he wasn't one who tried to run from reality rather than accepting things the way they were.

But after some cases, all of them needed their distance to the job. Esposito would either meet him, or would go looking for a woman as his company for the night. Castle and Beckett had their own ways of escaping.

Ryan was convinced that hiding from the world wasn't going to work in the long run though. Sooner or later, everyone would be confronted with reality again, and even the best coping mechanisms wouldn't work anymore. Still, he couldn't deny what something deep within him was longing for. He wasn't in need for some cheap kind of distraction: playing video games with Esposito already had the wished effect on him.

He wanted more. When he came home after a long shift, he wanted to do so with the knowledge that someone would be awaiting him. He didn't want to return to an empty apartment instead. Of course Ryan knew his way to think was to blame for all the teasing comments he received from his co-workers on a daily basis. But a long time ago, he had learned that he wasn't going to change just to fit in a little better, just to have a certain kind of reputation.

Instead, he was looking for a way to get what he wanted, especially on days like this, when a case had once again turned out to be a nerve-wracking challenge. Probably, so he realised, he should have chosen a night when his mood wasn't at the bottom though. Just looking up from his drink and making a more or less lame attempt at flirting with someone who'd bother to look at him seemed to be more work than he was willing to invest at the moment.

And so, he continued to pout into his drink, wondering if he would ever find his soulmate, if he would ever be one of those married men with a bunch of children and a lovely house in the suburbs of New York. The idea warmed his heart and made it ache at the same time. He had grown up as part of a big family, his sisters were all married by now. Even though he was the youngest, he had reached the point where everyone was looking at him with raised eyebrows, wondering when he would find his own better half. This fact didn't exactly ease the pressure to find someone either.

"Excuse me?" a female voice behind him ask then, interrupting his thoughts. As he turned around, just enough to face the owner of said voice, he found himself facing a petite blonde, looking up at him with the brightest smile he had seen in a long time. In surprise and amazement, he noticed how at least part of the dull feeling deep within him started to fade away.

"You'd mind?" she asked, nodding her head towards the empty chair by his side. He hadn't even noticed that his bar neighbour had left somewhere along the line.

"Be my guest," he answered. Her smile somehow widened even more as she climbed onto the barstool and made her order. Ryan's attention turned back to his own drink, but before he could drift off into the little dream world which he had created for himself and which he was longing for so badly, he could feel her gaze resting on him.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked politely.

The woman shook her head. She was still smiling, but her expression had softened visibly. "No, thank you. I'm sorry, I know it's rude to stare at someone like that," she apologized, and in awe he noticed how her cheeks reddened in the sweetest way he could imagine. "I was just wondering...you look a little upset, and I was wondering why."

"Oh, it's nothing really." He tried to smile back, but knew he had failed as her look got more serious. "It's just the job. And some...stuff."

She nodded understanding. "Anything you'd like to talk about?" She blushed even more under his surprised glance and added, "I bet you're thinking 'which crazy woman would offer you to unload your problems on her even though you don't know her'. But sometimes, talking does help."

"Why would you want to listen though?" Ryan couldn't help but ask.

She shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know either." An embarrassed, little chuckle escaped her. "I just think...this is a full, loud pub, and so far, you've been the only one who hasn't made a silly or offending comment. So chances are high you're a nice guy, and talking to someone nice seems to be a better option than talking to someone who keeps on staring down your cleavage. And if you wanna be left alone, you can stay at home in the first place."

Ryan couldn't deny she had a point. For another moment, he studied the woman in front of him, taking in the sight of her sparkling eyes, of her bright smile. He couldn't deny the idea of unloading his problems on a stranger felt wrong. Much to his growing surprise and confusion, the woman in front of him didn't feel like a stranger though. There was something trustworthy about her, something that made him want to open up and share his thoughts.

"I'm a cop," he said eventually. "It's quite a stressful job, you know?"

"You're a cop?" Her eyes widened in curiosity. "That's impressive!"

"Ah, I wouldn't say that." He could feel himself blushing as she leaned in further. "I do love it, don't get me wrong. It's not exactly what my parents expected me to do, and I guess if you see me and know me, you wouldn't exactly think I'm the definition of a cop either…"

"Really?" She laughed. "Then what exactly is the definition of a cop? What you see on TV? I thought those shows had nothing in common with reality."

"Well, at least not as much as fans of those shows might think," he admitted.

She grinned. "I can imagine you as a cop pretty well."

"Thanks." Mentally, Ryan cursed himself as his face kept on reddening more and more with every spoken word. "Anyway, I do love it, but if you're working for the homicide squad, there are moments...cases...they affect you more than others."

"I can imagine." Her smile softened at his words. "You had such a case?"

"Yeah." He nodded slowly. "I mean, I'm doing the job for years now, and there are always rough cases. So you'd think somewhere along the line, you'd get used to them. But…"

"You're just human," she completed for him. At his nod, she added, "That's normal, don't you think? To get upset once in a while.. I can only imagine what kind of things you get to see every day. You can't always stay cool, not letting it get to you and all."

"That's true." Ryan nodded again, and with joy realised that his formerly bad mood was getting better with every passing second. There was a warmth radiating from her that was soothing and lovely, and he had to admit he felt the urge to keep talking.

"You know, it doesn't happen often that we meet people like you," he stated then. "People who admire us for what we're doing every day. Most people complain about the stupid cops who interrogate the wrong people, or who don't catch the killer fast enough.. Feels good to know there are still people who don't think you're an incompetent idiot." Once again, his face heated up as he added, "And I can't even believe I'm saying that right now." He shook his head. "Usually, I'm the one with the positive attitude. The one who's getting on everyone's nerves 'cause complaining is nothing I really like to do. But now...I'm surprised you didn't run yet."

She laughed again, the sound making his skin tickle deliciously. "I think you're a little hard on yourself here," she assured him. "So far, I'm really enjoying this conversation. It's nice to know there are men out there who are polite even when they're complaining."

Those words finally drew a laughter from him. "It's not difficult to be nice to a person who has the gift to cheer one up after a rough day at the precinct."

"Is that what I'm doing?" she wanted to know, her eyes glistening in joy. "Am I cheering you up?"

"You have no idea." Curious himself and more than willing to continue the conversation, Ryan made himself comfortable on his bar stool, turning towards her completely. "Now that you know I'm here to distract myself from work, care to share why you decided to come to this pub tonight? Surely not to cheer up a stranger."

"Who knows." She winked at him. "But no. It's actually the music and the atmosphere that lured me here. Good old traditional Irish music. Feels like home."

"So you're Irish as well?" he wanted to know, his growing interest making her laugh.

"Yeah, I am." She nodded. "When I was a little girl, my parents and I would visit our relatives in Ireland once a year. I know such a pub can't be compared to that at all, but it does give you some odd kind of 'welcome home' vibe." Leaning in further again, she asked, "I take it you've got Irish roots yourself?"

"I do indeed." Ryan tried not to get too distracted by her adorable smile, which turned out to be a rather tricky challenge. "Never been to the island though."

"Not yet." She smirked, winking again. Then she paused studying him for a second before she continued, "I can't believe we've been talking so nicely without actually knowing each other's names yet."

"Kevin Ryan," he introduced himself willingly. In fact, so he believed, he would have answered every question without hesitation. He couldn't remember when a woman, or anyone really, had had such an effect on him.

"Nice to meet you," she replied. Playfully offering her hand to him, she added, "Jennifer Scout Duffy O'Malley."

"Wow. Quite a short name, huh?" Ryan smiled proudly as he managed to make her laugh again. "Makes me look quite unimpressive next to you."

"Ah, you're doing it again," she scolded him good-naturedly. "No being hard on yourself."

"Guess that's an old habit," he admitted, his smile turning shy. "It's not like I'm really that well-trained in having a successful conversation with a woman. My partner's a lot better at that." He paused, mentally groaning at himself, wondering what had happened to his ability to censor himself. "And that sounded even more pitiful."

Jenny shrugged. "Well, I don't see why you'd have a problem with women. You come across as a very lovely, dateable guy."

"Dateable, yeah?" Ryan couldn't resist the urge to grin again, enjoying the direction their conversation was slowly taking.

"Absolutely." She nodded eagerly to emphasize her words. "I mean, look at yourself. You haven't managed to scare me off yet."

"Yeah, I'm quite surprised by that, too," he replied with a wink of his own, swallowing hard as she inched even closer, those sparkling eyes focussing on him in a way that convinced him it wouldn't take longer than a few more seconds and he would have forgotten his surroundings completely. If there was someone who was definitely dateable, it had to be Jenny with the long name.

And then, realisation hit him. Right there, next to him, was sitting a young woman who had managed to cheer him up with just a few nice comments. Said woman wasn't put off by his awkward behaviour, instead even seemed to be intrigued by him. Images of his little dream world pushed their way into his mind, but this time, he wasn't ashamed by them, didn't believe he was too sappy for a real man. This woman, Jenny, was sweet and lovely, and he had to be an idiot if he didn't use this chance.

"Um...now that you cheered me up so nicely...why don't I get us another round of drinks and you tell me a bit about yourself for a change?" he suggested. She couldn't have smiled more beautifully than she did at this moment.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," she said. "What'd you like to know?"

And so, Ryan listened to the story of Jenny, ignoring the surrounding world as he watched her in awe, already falling in love with these sparkling eyes and this bright, lovely smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** My Sweetheart  
**Summary:** A person can meet their soulmate everywhere. Even at a small Irish pub.  
**Pairings:** Ryan/Jenny  
**Rating:** PG – 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit.

* * *

Castle couldn't deny that over the years and decades, he had done a lot he regretted by now. He still believed that one had to use every chance they could get, rather than pitying themselves afterwards because they couldn't stop asking themselves 'what if'. Of course he knew quite a lot of what he had done, mostly for entertaining himself, or because he had been drunk, had been nothing else but stupid.

Being a single Dad though had never been on this list. The years of raising Alexis counted to his favourite ones, and he couldn't deny that seeing his baby girl growing up, starting a life of her own, pained him. So far, he hadn't managed to convince Beckett that a baby would be a perfect addition to their little family, but he was working on it.

Until the day Beckett would agree to have a baby, he would simply settle for babysitting. Ryan and Jenny were pleased by his willingness regarding taking care of their little boy, giving them the space every married couple needed at times. Otherwise, going out together was nearly impossible.

Of course they had handed a long list of things not to do with their son to him, but Castle was sure he had managed to convince them that they couldn't find a better babysitter than him. For free even, he had pointed out.

With a proud grin, he examined the mess he and the five year old boy had created in the kitchen while trying to make his special kind of omelettes together. At least Angus Ryan seemed to appreciate his creativity in the food department, which made him an even more welcome guest in his apartment.

"Tastes good, huh?" he asked, shoving yet another forkful of food into his mouth.

The boy nodded eagerly. Then, with an expression almost all kids of his age seemed to master, he studied his babysitter closely. Patiently, Castle waited for the question which he knew was forming in the mind of the little boy and would eventually come out. He didn't have to wait long.

"Do you know how Mommy and Daddy met?" he asked eventually.

"They haven't told you yet?" Castle asked back, just to be sure.

Angus shook his head. "No, but David Monroe in kindergarten said he knows how his parents met. But I don't."

"And now you want me to tell you?" Castle fought down the mischievous grin that was threatening to spread across his face. Excitement started to rise deep within him as the boy eagerly nodded. Of course he knew how the couple had really met, but did a five year old want to hear such an ordinary story? Certainly not. Fortunately, he had chosen to ask the right person, and within a matter of seconds, he came up with the perfect story.

"Well, I hope you got some time, buddy," he said, trying to sound as mysterious as possible. He guided the curious boy over to his living room couch, where he settled down with a meaningful sigh. "Before I start, tell me...can I trust you? Because what you're about to hear is top secret information."

"Of course! I can keep secrets really well," the boy promised.

Castle nodded satisfied. "Perfect." He paused again, waiting until Angus was squirming in excitement. "Everything started with Santa having a little problem."

"Santa?" Angus stared in surprise.

Castle nodded again. "Oh yes. Santa had a little problem, because there was a guy who wanted to steal his secret list. The one with the names on it, you know? So he hired the best spy in the world. And this spy was your Mom." He suppressed a chuckle as the boy's eyes widened even more. "The guy, Mr. Meanieman was his name, was pretty rude because he wanted to steal the list, and your Mom was supposed to find out how much he already knew and if there was a real chance for him to go and steal the list. She learned pretty soon that Mr. Meanieman was even meaner than Santa had expected, and so, she decided that she was in need of some help, because even the best spy sometimes needs a little support. Your Mom wondered who would be good and smart enough to stop Mr. Meanieman, and she had to ask a lot of people, until someone suggested one of the best cops in the world to her. And that's your Daddy of course."

"Oh!" Angus gasped surprised. "That means my Mommy and my Daddy met when they tried to help Santa?"

"Exactly."

"And did they stop Mr. Meanieman?" Angus wanted to know.

"Of course they did." Castle smiled as the boy's eyes lit up even more. "Your Mom figured out when Mr. Meanieman would try to get to the North Pole and steal the list. So she and your Dad waited for his arrival. Of course, Mr. Meanieman didn't know they were after him and showed up. They arrested him and the list was save again. After Santa thanked them for their great help, they wanted to go back to New York, to continue doing what they always did. But working together had been so much fun for them that they agreed they wanted to meet again. And then, a few years later, they got married, and another two years later, you were born."

"Wow." The boy stared up at his babysitter with in amazement widened eyes. Castle couldn't deny he was impressed by himself. This story certainly counted to the craziest ideas he had ever come up with, but Angus seemed to be pleased by it: his mission was accomplished.

"But remember," he whispered. "The whole case's top secret. No one's allowed to know about it, so you really have to keep it a secret."

"I promise!" The boy grinned brightly. "Except Mommy and Daddy. They may know that I know, because they saved Santa and I want to thank them for that!"

Castle bit his bottom lip as Angus bounced off the couch and hurried back into his kitchen. The story might have pleased the boy, but he wasn't so sure same would count for his parents.

* * *

With a satisfied sigh, Ryan let himself fall onto the living room couch, enjoying the sensation of his aching legs relaxing instantly. He and Jenny didn't get the chance to go out together often since the birth of their son. Angus required a lot of attention, as the excited, active little boy would barely ever sit still. But the longing for a few quiet moments where they could be just a married couple again existed, and fortunately, Castle was an eager babysitter.

Closing his eyes, he sank deeper into the cushions of his beloved couch. Their night out had been fantastic. They had paid their favourite little pub a visit, where they had met for the first time years ago. But despite the years that had passed since Jenny had smiled her way into his heart, he could still remember every second of said meeting, and of all those that had followed.

For so long, Ryan had wondered if he would ever be one of those men with a wife, kids and a house. They still hadn't bought a house, but he was more than pleased with how the wife and kids topic had turned out. All his failed dates hadn't mattered anymore when he had run into Jenny: a woman who adored him just the way he was.

Opening his eyes again, he took in his surroundings. He loved their sweet little apartment, that felt so much like home. Being a father in particular wasn't always easy, but he was more than eager to face whatever challenges their son would confront them with.

His smile widened as Jenny returned to the living room. The look she gave him though caught his attention.

"Did something happen?" he asked, quickly scanning his mind to remember if he had done something he hadn't been supposed to again.

Jenny shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just a little surprised...did you know I was a spy once?"

"A...what?" Ryan stared back at his wife in confusion, trying to figure out whether or not she was just joking.

"A spy." She made her way through the living room and joined him on the couch. "According to our son, Castle said that you and I met while we were saving Santa's secret list."

"Santa's secret list?" he repeated. "Sorry, but...I think I still don't get it."

Jenny tried to keep up her stern facade, but he didn't miss the amused smirk that was tearing at the corners of her mouth. "Apparently, Angus asked Castle how you and I met. So our writer friend told him a quite interesting story, in which I'm a spy, who was hired by Santa to save his secret list. Because I needed support to stop a certain Mr. Meanieman though, I asked you, and together, we arrested that mean thief. And because we had so much fun, we started dating."

Crossing her arm in front of her chest, she gazed back at him as she waited. Ryan stared back at her, still confused for another couple of moments, until he finally understood. "Seriously?" he asked impressed. "That's quite a creative idea."

"It is creative, yeah," Jenny agreed. "But...quite crazy, too, don't you think? Our son now believes we met while helping Santa. How are we supposed to explain to him that Castle just came up with a weird story? That in reality, you and I just met at the bar of an Irish pub?"

"Why do we have to tell him in the first place?" Ryan wanted to know.

Jenny's eyes widened in surprise. "So you wanna let him believe in a lie?"

"Oh, come on." He shrugged. "He's a five year old, and you know Castle. What should he have told him instead? The real story? Now, that'd have bored Angus, trust me. He's a kid, he loves adventures and exciting stuff, and Castle delivered that. You could also say that he shouldn't believe in Santa, or the Easter Bunny. 'Cause those are lies as well."

"Yeah, but...different lies," she replied. "They're just fun stories for kids to believe in, to make the holidays special for them."

"Exactly," Ryan agreed. "And same counts for Castle's story. Angus thinks that his parents saved Santa, and he thinks it's cool, doesn't he?" At her nod, he added, "See? It's just another story that's supposed to entertain and excite. By the time he gets older, he'll stop believing in Santa, and then he'll also realise that the whole spy story can't be true either."

"Don't you think he'll be disappointed?" Jenny remarked. "That he'll be mad because of the lies?"

"Well, he'll be just as mad about this as he might be about the whole Santa lie. And we can still blame it on Castle, as he's the one who came up with the story." Ryan winked at his wife, smiling as she laughed. "He's a little boy. Remember when you were a kid? Didn't you love all those stories your parents told you? Didn't you believe in those, too, just to realise they were fictional? Believing in fairytales and stuff like that is part of being a kid."

Jenny nodded slowly, allowing his words to sink in. Then she sighed, snuggling into his side and signalling with this gesture that she agreed with him. "At least he won't tell anyone because Castle told him the case's top secret."

Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, Castle knows how to cover his lies, huh?" Gently, he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, pulling her close. "But you gotta admit that he comes up with pretty cool ideas."

Playfully rolling her eyes, Jenny gazed up at him. "Does he know how much of a fanboy you really are?" She paused. "You don't seriously think his idea was better than the real story though?"

"You're kidding me?" He shook his head at her. "The real story is better than anything even Castle could come up with." Leaning in, he captured her lips in a loving kiss. "After all, at this pub, I met the first woman who actually liked me for my awkward behaviour."

"Yeah, being cute has its advantages," she teased, kissing him back.

Neither of them could deny that Castle had provided a story that perfect for entertaining a child. But Ryan and Jenny also agreed that the story beat every fantasy one, because nothing described their relationship better than a casual meeting at an Irish pub, where they had found the soulmate they had always been looking for.


End file.
